Simon Pagenaud ready for his 1st race in Sao Paulo

Simon Pagenaud newsletter

IN SENNA COUNTRY!

Simon Pagenaud, Schmidt/Hamilton Motorsports

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

After a remarkable start to the season which saw him harvested his first podium
in the IZOD IndyCar Series at the third round (2nd place at Long Beach), Simon Pagenaud is currently third in the provisional standings – and best-placed rookie.
This weekend, the championship moves on to Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the fourth
clash which will be the Frenchman’s first ever race in South America. For the third
time this year, the venue is a street circuit, an exercise which he particularly
enjoys and which has seen him produce some impressive performances so far.
Street racing calls for fine judgement, nerves of steel and smart strategic
thinking, so Simon’s successful experience in endurance racing promises to be a
valuable asset in a fiercely competitive competition like the IZOD IndyCar Series.
The temporary track is four kilometres in length and features a long straight
which should facilitate overtaking, plus 11 turns. It is also the calendar’s last road
track ahead of the visit to the celebrated Indy oval. The Brazilian round will
provide Simon Pagenaud with a chance to collect more points as he tries to
strengthen his footing on the championship’s provisional podium ahead of a high
number of IndyCar specialists and former F1 drivers.

SIMON SAYS...

“This my first trip to Brazil which is a country I have long associated
with motor racing and, of course, Ayrton Senna. Senna has been a
model for me since the start of my career. To be here in his country
and in Sao Paulo is an emotionally-charged moment for me. We
are up to third in the championship after the first three races and
Schmidt/Hamilton Racing has done a tremendous job so far. I feel
very much at home in the team and the car is improving all the
time. Honda is looking for more and more performance and I have
to say I am really enjoying myself this year. Sao Paulo is a street
circuit with some long straights where we should be able to
overtake. And I’m quite pleased that the weather forecast is for rain.
Racing in the wet is a special challenge which I enjoy. It gives you
an opportunity to either stand out or throw everything away in an
instant. My aim will be to score as many points as possible before
the Indy 500 and before the sequence of visits to oval tracks. I feel
ready, and I can hardly wait…!”